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This morning during my quiet time I came across this verse:
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
I meditated it on it for a bit and I began to personalize it.
If I walk in the light as He is in the Light, I will have fellowship with others who also walk in His light.
Fellowship is natural….Fellowship in Christ is supernatural.
Truly, fellowship in Christ overcomes any and every obstacle.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the importance of relationships and how they start. Maybe you are neighbors, or you have kids in the same preschool, or you work out at the same gym. Maybe you have the same hobbies. I don’t know. But we were created for relationship and we seek them out intuitively. In many cases, people find friends for life. But how about in the church setting where we are told to love our brothers and sisters and everyone is so different? What if humanly speaking there is no common ground?
It’s amazing to me how God knits hearts together. I have met so many women in different walks of life, different seasons of life, different career paths, you name it, and I’ve seen God knit our hearts together. Like sisters.
It’s so neat and frankly miraculous. I’m thinking right now of some friends in my life group, my discipleship group, friends in our Bible study, friends I serve with. I could give them all a great big hug. They have truly enriched my life by knowing them. I may have never found such sweet encounters except for the work of God.
What’s the recipe for supernatural fellowship? What’s the glue? I think this verse lays it out very clearly.
If I walk in the Light (God’s Light) meaning – if I do not harbor sin or resist conviction of the Holy Spirit, if I stay close to His side, if I surrender my will and way to Him, if I obey and seek Him continually…
Notice it says WALK. It doesn’t say “get in the light” or even “step in the light”. Walk is an ongoing action. It takes daily introspection and inventory to walk in the light.
As He is in the Light – When I walk in the light I walk where God is. I walk in fellowship with Him. A previous verse in this chapter says “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” (V5) So when I walk in light I will find Him there.
When I walk in the light, I walk where God is. Boy, I love that!
But there is also a resulting effect of walking in the light with the Lord. I am told in this verse that when I do I will have fellowship with other believers who are doing the same thing.
That’s supernatural!
Why? Because we are all sinners and we are all different. We are all imperfect and we will fail. Walking in the light together causes me to deal with my junk and for you do to the same. In the light, when sin or selfishness of heart rises up, it’s visible. Nothing hides in the light. When we are willing to walk in the light and to be “exposed” and vulnerable, God humbles us. He creates a healthy springboard to approach and love others.
Nothing hides in the light.
It’s no wonder that the verse concludes with “and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” The most beautiful relationships are borne out of humble hearts seeking to please God, seeking to deal with their sin, seeking to put others before themselves. And God reminds us here that although we won’t do it perfectly, and we will fail, we are promised that Jesus blood cleanses us from all sin. It’s His vehicle to life changing, heart changing, supernatural fellowship. Accepting His forgiveness and knowing I need it desperately, helps me to forgive and love others.
Perhaps the meaning of this portion of the verse can be better understood by looking at another passage from Hebrews 3:12-13.
Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
When someone falls away from the living God they distance themselves from His light. But if we are vigilant to stay in the light and look out for each other there, we can keep ourselves safe from the deceitfulness of sin.
One word here about the deceitfulness of sin. I’ve said this before but this phrase basically says in so many words, “you will be tricked into believing your sin is not sin.” And it can keep you from the light of God and supernatural fellowship.
John 8:12 says, Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Supernatural fellowship. It’s available to all of us. The interesting thing is that we don’t find these relationships by seeking out people like ourselves. We find it in seeking God, walking in His light. There we find very different people, perhaps even complete opposites, and we grow in love for them. It’s a beautiful thing. And it’s just like God to make it so.
Liz errante - This is so true! Most of my best relationships have come about thru church connections. Even now, just 6 months at lifehouse, I find myself drawn to Jen f. From my life group, tish from team kid, becky g., lifegroup..I feel super blessed, I’ll tell you that!